Re: I need to borrow a photo!

I am very familiar with Spathiphyllum friedrichsthalii in Costa Rica.
It grows in open areas (large rainforest gaps and in swampy fields) in full
sunlight, and usually in several inches of water. If you do a google
image search for Spathiphyllum friedrichstahlii
you will see a “flickr” photo – that photo is of the “swamp”
at La Selva Biological Station. The people in the photo are standing on
the boardwalk that leads through the swamp, which is flooded with several
inches of water for most of the year (except at the height of the dry
season). The dominant plant in the swamp, as you’ll see in the
photo, is S. friedrichsthalii.

I have a page on my
website that I have been researching for several years. I need a photo of
a large group of Spathiphyllum
(Peace lilies) growing in water as they do in nature. I don't care if the
photo is from a botanical garden or was taken in South or Central
America but I would love to know the species shown in the
photo. If that is not possible, please show it us us anyway.

Every time I try to explain to folks on one of two plant discussion sites these
plants love water I get blasted! Dr. Croat told me himself these species
are "water hogs" and thanks to Pete Boyce I have collected and read
all the papers I can find that explain how they grow in nature. The only
paper I can't find is George Bunting's paper which is now close to 30 years
old. If you have it in PDF format, I'd love to have a copy.

I grow a group of Spathiphyllum in a 55 gallon aquarium under very bright light
(330 watt) and they grow great, There roots are in no soil at all, just
inside plastic cups made for mounting plants for this purpose. The
leaves commonly grow so high they begin to block the lights so we are
constantly removing them.

People refuse to even look at my photos if they believe these species love to
grow in a dry pot of regular potting soil in a dark corner and be watered once
every other week. I am constantly told they should not be watered until
they are begging for a drink! That makes no sense for a tropical plant
species and neither does dark light due to the requirement for photosynthesis
to produce their own food. Yep, I fully understand they also grow
naturally in shade but a great deal of the colony lives in brighter light and
if I understand it correctly they are able to share nutrition through their
rhizomes.

Here is the page I would like to post the photo on and I will gladly credit you
as desired or your institution if you are with a botanical garden. I know
the New YorkBotanical Garden once had such a display
but I don't know if it still exists. I would really like the photos in
color but if black and white is all you have send them anyway.

People complain on the internet all the time that their plants aren't doing
well but when porous soil is discussed and any mention of water and light is
made some people just go ballistic and refuse to listen (not counting the
"nice" things they say). I have a second large colony in my
atrium that is now over 20 years old that spread a full three feet and the
rhizomes are thick.

I would really appreciate your assistance! If you have more than a single
photo please post them here or send me a note. By the way, the pair of
angles recently laid eggs and we had to give away most of the babies once they
got to the size of a nickle. Two babies now live in the tank as
well. You can see the spathes at the top of the tank. The
"Peace lilies" love to grow in water!